We can’t standardize because it will squash innovation!
Have you heard this before?
I have… A lot.
On the flip side, having no standards in place is chaos.
So where do you draw the line?
Here are a few ways that companies are achieving the right balance with standards.
- Before setting a standard, start with an opinionated path. Pick a tool that most people use. Make this the recommended tool for everybody, the one that will be “supported.” If people want to deviate, they are on their own.
- That’s fine for some things, but for things that are really important, like languages and frameworks, you need to be a bit more rigid. Deviations are still allowed but a real business case should be made first. This way innovation can still happen and you don’t end up with ten different languages in your org. (Products developed in a non-standard language become a serious risk when the developer leaves and there’s no one left to support it.)
- Requests for deviation sometimes means that there is a larger problem that needs to be solved. Dig into the real reason why it’s being requested.
Note that too much change too fast brings developer friction. Start slow and communicate clearly (and often) the reasoning and intent.
Best,
Andre